Shenanigans
by infinitas-derentis
Summary: Daniel Jackson has a house guest; 21 year old Keyra, an archaeologist too curious for her own good. Daniel/OC
1. Chapter 1

"Daniel Jackson, you should be ashamed of yourself." Keyra said, leaning against the doorframe with a small box in her hand. Daniel looked up from his breakfast to find an ancient box of condoms in her hand. "How old are these things?"

He nearly upturned his cereal in a rush to grab the box from her, but Keyra easily held them behind her back, smile glittering. "What were you even doing in my bathroom cupboard?"

"I needed a new bottle of shampoo. You haven't even got any, go figure."

"I usually ju-" He stopped abruptly, eyes narrowing. "There's a fresh bottle in the shower."

"So, I was curious. And with good reason, Doctor Jackson. These things must have expired before I was even legal."

"If you don't go get ready, you're going to be late for work. And if you get fired, you're going to end up crashing on my couch for even longer."

"And we wouldn't want that, would we?" She said, rolling her eyes and disappearing from the doorway.

_Why, oh why, did I agree to this?_ Being friends with the young archaeologist was difficult enough, but having her on his couch made things even more difficult.

Shaking his head, he sat back down and continued on his meal. Keyra emerged soon after, pulling her hair back and revealing a thin sliver of skin around her stomach. He found his eyes pulled down, before quickly averting them. But not before Keyra noticed, and stifled a giggle.

"See ya later, Danny." She leaned down, kissing him on the cheek before rushing out of the house.

It was late that afternoon when she re-entered, carrying two plastic shopping bags which she placed on the bench, tugging out her hair.

"Got you something. Take a look." Daniel sighed and looked in the first bag, finding a very lacey pair of underwear, which he held up and looked dubiously at her. "Nope. Those are mine."

He ignored the thoughts pressuring at certain parts of his body and dug further, pulling out a box. As soon as he read the label, he groaned. Condoms.

"Thought you'd appreciate some fresh ones. I had to take a guess at your size, but I'm sure they'll suit." She hooked a finger in the waistband of his jeans before giggling and heading out, bags in hand. Daniel groaned, throwing the box on the table and storming out of the room.

Later, when he emerged for food, he found Keyra lying on the couch, nose stuck in a book as she read intently. He pushed the spine up to get a better look and smiled. Egyptian history. _Oh, if only you knew_. Keyra muttered something angrily and moved the book back to proper position, swatting at his hand. Daniel took a seat opposite her, putting his feet up. She snuck a glance at him from the side of her book and grinned.

"Essay?" He said, pointing to the book.

"Na. Just spare time reading. Though I have to say, I found your theories much more interesting. I mean, pyramids as spaceships? You're an idiot, but it's certainly fun reading." Daniel closed off, and she used her toe to poke him in the ribs. "You're a good idiot."

He grabbed her foot, tickling it gently and eliciting a shriek before she started laughing and writhing to escape. The book fell to the floor, discarded, and Daniel moved to her sides, tickling further up her ribs.

"Daniel!" She moaned, and he stopped, realizing they were only milimetres away. With each breath, he could feel her chest expand and brush against his. Keyra's eyes flashed, and she practically dared him to make a move. He considered it - hell, he almost did it, but the doorbell interfered.

He groaned, letting himself fall over her for a moment, before hobbling off to the door. Keyra rubbed her eyes in exasperation and trundled off after him to see who was at the door.

"Jack, this better be good."

"Well, I was thinking, all this free time. You, me, Teal'c, fishing. Come on." Keyra raised an eyebrow; Daniel and fishing? That hardly sounded like a good combination.

"Actually, Jack, I've got a guest." It was Jack's turn to be surprised then, and he looked at Daniel dubiously.

"You're just trying to get out of fishing, I bet."

"No! I'm not! Knowing Keyra, she's probably listening in so she can come out now." Daniel said, turning to the end of the hallway, where Keyra emerged, grinning.

"If I wasn't there, you would've looked totally stupid just then."

"And when have you ever been able to fight your curiosity?" Daniel shot back, earning a shrug. "Jack, this is Keyra, she's an archaeologist. Keyra, this is Jack, I work with him."

"You work with him? In this mysterious little world you disappear to for months on end? Well, it's nice to know you do exist, Jack, and that Danny isn't just making stuff up to avoid me."

"_You're_ an archaeologist?" Jack said in disbelief.

"It's a side effect of my morbid curiosity, I'm afraid. I like to know things."

"She likes to know _everything_." Daniel interjected, crossing his arms.

"By the way, _Danny_," Keyra said, eyes narrowing, "we should totally go fishing with Jack. If he doesn't mind me tagging along?"

Daniel froze, and for a moment so did Jack, before both recovered and began stuttering different things. Eventually, Jack grinned. "Sure. You might want to wear something else though."

"You got it, Jack." She replied, and disappeared to find clothes.

"Where's Teal'c?"

"In the car," Jack said, "but don't worry, he's g-"

"Shh!" Daniel said suddenly. "She's probably still listening."

"I'm so not listening!" Keyra shouted through the wall, and Daniel rolled his eyes. "Okay, so maybe a little!"

"Don't make me come in there!"

"Oooh, is that a threat, Danny boy?"

"Daniel?" Jack said, throwing his colleague a look. "You mind explaining why there's a kid sleeping on your couch?"

"She's 20, Jack, she's not a kid. And they repossessed her house, so she needed a place to stay. It just so happens I had a room to offer." Keyra re-emerged then, wearing long camo pants and a black tank top that revealed hints of the heiroglyphs tattooed on her left hip.

"Danny was foolish enough to offer me that room. Even my mum threw me out as soon as I was 18. She said living me was like living with Big Brother."

"One would hope it was an over exaggeration." Daniel muttered, and Keyra poked him.

"Come on, Danny. Get changed. You can't go fishing in those nice little boxer shorts." She looped her finger under the waistband where Jack couldn't see, and Daniel jumped like he'd been electrocuted.

"Right." He disappeared, and Keyra turned to Jack.

"So, you work with Daniel?"

"I work for the Airforce. Daniel just kind of tags along." He replied, and she grinned.

"Cool. Do you get to fly planes and stuff?"

"Sometimes."

"I'm surprised anyone would hire Daniel. I've read his stuff on ancient cultures, it doesn't exactly scream credibility."

"Yeah, well, I guess there are some pretty foolish people bossing me around." Jack jested, and Keyra looked around as Daniel emerged, muttering to himself.

"Great! Let's go!"

They headed out to Jack's car, while Keyra stuck close to Daniel. He was still running over all the things that could've happened only moments earlier. He could've kissed her; touched her.

"O'Neill, this is most unnecessary." Teal'c groaned, as Jack shoved the hat further down to cover his mark. The massive Jaffa noticed Keyra at the same moment Keyra noticed him, but her response was far more vocal. She shrieked, jumping back into Daniel, who braced himself enough to keep them upright.

"Sorry. Sorry, you just startled me." She said, and held out a hand. "I'm Keyra, Daniel's friend."

"This is Teal'c. We work with him too."

"Oh, so you're in the airforce aswell?" Keyra questioned, her fear dissipating to be replaced by curiosity.

"No." Teal'c responded, at the same moment Jack said, "Yes."

"Yes." Teal'c said, his face not even moving.

"He's a consultant, like I am." Daniel explained airily, ushering Keyra into the backseat, while Jack and Teal'c took the front seats. Keyra flashed him a wonky smile, and slipped her hand onto his thigh teasingly. Daniel grunted, grabbing her hand as it travelled, and glaring at her.

"You kids okay back there?"

"Shiny." Keyra said, grinning devilishly. Daniel cursed the gods and the goa'uld and everyone else he could think of, forcing himself to think about alien languages and artefacts.

They drove for a few hours, until they reached Jack's cabin, and he took Teal'c away to get the equipment. Keyra wandered out onto the dock, with Daniel lagging behind. She reached the edge, and stood upon it, staring out, before turning back to Daniel.

"About before…" she started, but was interrupted by Jack bringing out some chairs. When he left again, Keyra took a few steps closer to Daniel and kissed him soundly on the mouth, leaving the archaeologist in shock even after she'd moved away.

"So, Keyra, you know how to use one of these things?" Jack asked, handing her a rod. Daniel muttered something and took a seat, pulling his hat down over his face.

"Curiosity teaches you a lot, Jack." She said, before casting it perfectly, then reeling in.

"Very nice technique. You ever thought about golf?"

"I can't say I'm wonderful at it.?" She didn't miss the flash of amusement that crossed Daniel's eyes as he looked up.

"She's a terrible golfer."

"Alas, Daniel is right there. I've been kicked off many a green, though not always for my lack of skill." Daniel groaned and stood.

"I need to go to the toilet." He stuttered gruffly before disappearing. Jack cast his line, oblivious to the tension between the couple.

Teal'c just stood.

When Daniel returned, Keyra was nowhere to be seen. "Where'd she go?"

"Said she was going to take a walk around. She's on the path. Come on, time to fish."

"Just a minute." Daniel replied absent-mindedly, and wandered off down the path and into the thick forestry. The canopy blocked out most of the light, save for a number of tiny holes that allowed the light to filter through into the perfectly green scenery.

He found Keyra in a clearing less than five minutes away, dancing to an unheard music, her limbs flying gracefully through the air. Camo pants had never looked so elegant as she made them. When she noticed Daniel, she stopped abruptly and eyed him.

"It just looked too beautiful to resist."

"I didn't know you could dance."

"Archaeology was a better career. A proper career." She said, doing a few moves before walking up to him. "So I put the dancer away."

"That was a mistake." Daniel said, and she smiled woefully.

"Maybe."

"You want to come back now?" She shook her head, moving to speak, but a dart whizzed through the air, before eight people crowded around her before promptly disappearing into the trees. Daniel gaped at the empty space before him, before shouting out to Jack and Teal'c. They appeared from the path soon after.

"Someone took her! They tranquilized her and took her!" He shouted at them, and Teal'c cast a glance at Jack, before receiving the nod to go after them. He disappeared into the trees also, while Daniel rubbed his temples. "It's got to be because of us. Why else would they take a random civilian?"

"We'll get her back, Daniel. Don't worry." Jack clapped his friend on the back, watching the trees, his insides knotting themselves together. "We should contact the SGC. If this was because of us, they'll be able to intercept any further attacks. They might be holding her for ransom."


	2. Coping

_**Chapter Two**_

Pacing back and forth, Daniel watched his phone like a hawk. During the first 24 hours, they'd taught him every single way to respond if the kidnappers rang him. But the words nobody brought to life was the fact that it was highly likely that the kidnappers knew about the Stargate Program. If that was the case, Keyra had just become a threat to the Stargate, whether she had any idea about it or not.

Sam and Teal'c had been watching Daniel closely over the days since Keyra's disappearance, and neither of them wanted to admit just how shaken he was by it. Eventually, Teal'c took a look at Sam before walking into Daniel's office and standing with his hands behind his back, "How are you faring, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel looked up from his desk with bloodshot eyes, and grunted, "What do you care? You barely even knew Keyra."

"I know you."

"This is _my_ fault. I should've known better than to try and have a life outside this place. It was just a matter of time before something happened to the woman I love. It's just the way, isn't it?"

"What is it that's really bothering you about this, Daniel?" Sam asked, having overheard so far into the conversation before hurrying into the office herself.

"Maybe the fact that the Stargate Program has begun using us as a connection to the outside world. It's only because of me she's been put in this position. It's because of me she's become yet another victim of the Stargate Program!" Daniel shouted, and Sam walked over to him, drawing him into a hug.

"There's a chance this has nothing to do with the SGC. It could just be a coincidence."

"I stopped believing in coincidence a long time ago, Sam. And the fact that you do is disconcerting."

Sam released him, keeping a hold of his shoulders. Teal'c appeared in the doorway again, and this time Daniel didn't force him away, instead dropping like a dead weight into his chair, "I can't help but feel responsible. Like this is my fault."

"The only person to blame here is the people who took her, Daniel."

"Major Carter is correct, Daniel Jackson. You are not at fault." Teal'c offered.

"Thanks, guys." Daniel said softly, looking up at his team and offering the best smile he could manage.

He'd rehearsed the way to respond to ransoms over a thousand times with the Airforce personnel, and yet it seemed as soon as the phone rang, hours of practise simply fell away and left Daniel with the raw stupidity of a fool.

"_Hello Doctor Jackson."_

"What do you want?" Daniel retorts, anger bubbling up within him at the prim tone of the kidnapper.

"_I want access to the Stargate. That's what you're going to give me, if you ever want to see your pretty little girlfriend ever again."_

He lets the 'girlfriend' comment drop, "How do you know about the Stargate program?"

"_Just talented, I suppose. Do you want your girlfriend or not?_"

"She's no-" He dropped off and sighed. "Fine. A meeting?"

"_At Cheyenne Mountain. We'll bring the girl, you take me and four of my men to the Gate."_

"Fine."

"_It would be a very bad idea to attack my people, or your little girlfriend will find herself in a very unpleasant situation._"

"Today, 3pm. I want to talk to Keyra." The line clicked, and Daniel sighed. Looking up at the people surrounding him, he focused on General Hammond. "So, what's the plan?"

"We tranquilize them." General Hammond replied.

"But you heard what he said!"

Jack stepped forward, placing himself between Daniel and the General, "Daniel, we can't allow civilians to go through the gate. And Keyra is -"

"Is what, Jack? Collateral damage?" Daniel shouted, rising to his feet.

"Enough." Jack ordered. "We'll protect Keyra as best we can. But we need to protect the Stargate Program."

Daniel glared at each of them, before slamming his hand on the table and heading out of the room.

Time never seemed so slow as it did in the time before three o'clock. Daniel found no solace in his work, and no peace in any part of the Mountain. Short of taking a very long trip, there was little he could do to escape the fear rising in his heart. He hardly wanted to admit to himself what was happening; that without considering the consequences, he had drawn Keyra into the Stargate Program and turned her into a victim of it. Without even telling her about the existence of the gate, he had managed to get her kidnapped to gain access to it.

And then, without warning, three o'clock was upon them.

The leader of the posse strutted as though he held the world on a very short leash. Daniel hated him the instant he heard his voice on the phone, but the loathing that filled his mind now was so much more. The second man in the group held Keyra tightly against him, dwarfing the petite archaeologist. She had a bandage across her wrist and she was limping. A crude blindfold was tied around her eyes and she had her fists clenched tightly.

And then the sound of ZAT fire rang out, and Keyra dropped with the man holding her, roughly colliding with the ground as she too fell unconscious. Daniel was soon at her side, and the medical team pulled her onto a stretcher.

Later, the team stood at her bedside, looking expectantly at Janet, who was looking over a file in her hands. Daniel was sitting by Keyra's bed, holding her hand despite the fact she was still out cold.

"They used a dead man's switch. When the leader went down, he set off a toxin that was released into her bloodstream. We should be able to combat it with the formula brought back from P3X-229, but it's a guessing game for the moment."

With that, Janet ushered them all - save for Daniel - out of the infirmary to give Daniel the alone time he clearly needed.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." He said softly, rubbing a hand over her palm. Keyra stirred, her heartbeat quickening on the monitors nearby, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Daniel." Tears welled in her eyes and she gripped his hand tighter. "Am I dreaming?"

"No. You're free. You're safe. I promise." She nodded, her eyes shutting again and her heartbeat evening. The bubbly, excitable, flirty dancer had dissipated, and Daniel was aching to turn back the clock. "I'm sorry, Keyra."

_A/N - Sorry this chapter took so long to come to you, I rewrote most of it. I've been watching far too much Stargate and writing far too much Legit Novel, leading to the short period of ignoring my FanFiction duties. Hopefully this chapter makes up for that, and fingers crossed I can get another chapter up very soon._


	3. Archaeologists do it Better

Disclaimer : Of course, I own everything...Well, except for the Stargate characters. And the stargate. And, you know, pretty much the whole basis for the story. I do own Keyra though! And my evil OC's and the storyline. So HA!

* * *

After being forced out of the infirmary for almost a whole twelve hours to sleep, Daniel was hanging outside the door hoping to get back inside.

Janet stuck her head out the door, rolling her eyes before pulling it all the way open, "Come on. She's awake."

Keyra was curled up on the bed, dark circles under her eyes and a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She brightened up as much as one could in her situation the moment she laid eyes on Daniel, "Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like death warmed up." She said, attempting to sit up a little more. Daniel hurried over to help her, and she smiled up at him, "Apparently on top of the toxin, I got a fraction of the ZAT fire when the guy holding me was zapped."

"You…know about a ZAT?"

She looked away momentarily, before sighing, "They told me everything, Daniel. About this place, about the Stargate. The leader said it'd make me a danger to you, and I got the feeling he was all for making your life more difficult."

"Oh," was all Daniel could manage, "well, umm."

"I don't blame you for not telling me." She whispered. "Clearly, there's a lot more to your papers than anyone saw."

He pulled up a chair, and took a seat by her bedside, "Keyra, I'm sorry. I never should've let you get dragged into this. I can deal with the danger, but there's no way I can justify letting you deal with it without even knowing. I can't believ-"

Keyra cut him off with a swift kiss, her hands fisting into his unzipped BDU jacket. Instinctively, his hands moved to her sides and gripped there. When she broke the kiss, she whispered, "I can handle danger, Daniel, if it means I get to have you too."

"You almost _died_."

"And now I know everything," she said with a cocky smile, "Fair trade, if you ask me."

Daniel couldn't help but roll his eyes at that, "You and your curiosity."

"Where are they? The men who took me?"

"We have them in solitary confinement until we can determine how they knew about the gate and why they wanted to get through it. Any chance they mentioned that?"

"No. Sorry. I wish I could be of more help."

"You just need to rest. We can handle this without your help." Daniel whispered, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"If you insist."

"When you wake up, I'll take you to see General Hammond. We have to go over a few things."

"So, you've been informed about a secret more classified than anything else on the planet, you can understand our hesitance to let you leave."

"I won't tell anyone. The Stargate Program should always stay a secret. People wouldn't know how to handle that kind of power. Besides, we've already got the best team in the world. I owe you guys a lot. You risked the entire program when you let those guys come here. Thanks." She saw Daniel's look, and grinned, "No matter what Doctor Jackson believes, the only ones at fault are the ones who took me."

"You will need to sign a secrecy contract, but other than that, I believe you, and I don't want to keep you here for longer than is necessary. Doctor Frasier wants you to stay for at least a few days to make sure all the toxins are out of your body."

"Sure."

General Hammond smiled kindy, "Dismissed."

"Come on." Daniel said, holding out a hand. He led her out of the room, to his own on-base quarters. "We need to talk."

"Oh yeah?" She said, mulling around the practically empty room. Daniel tugged her over and sat her down, knowing her too well to have a half-assed conversation while she focused on anything but him.

"I spend half my life on different planets. I go through the gate never knowing if I'll come back. That's no kind of life for you."

"Is this you trying to convince me we're a dead end relationship?"

"Is it working?" She shook her head, stretching herself out on his bed. Her shirt pulled up far enough for him to fully read the tattoo on her hip, and smirked. _Archaeologists do it better. _Of course she would have that emblazoned in heiroglyphs across her body.

"Not in the least."

"You deserve a choice in this. I just want you to be fully informed."

"I know everything I need to know. And I'm fine with it all, so long as you are." He sighed as she pushed her toes against his thigh _very_ gently and teased at the area.

"Of course I am. Keyra, I don't want you to be in danger because of me. I don't want you to constantly be worrying about me when I'm offworld."

"You can stop now." She said, sounding bored. "You aren't going to convince me out of this. Of course, if this is because you aren't interested, then I'll go, and it'll end. But somehow I don't think that's the case at all. You should have a shower, Doctor Jackson, you stink."

"So do you." He retorted, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, in that case, maybe I could join you." Daniel choked on nothing, and she laughed. "Relax. It was a joke…I think."

"Come on, I'll show you to the shower block." He tugged her out of his room.

Later, she emerged from the shower with her damp hair pulled back into a loose tie. She was wearing a pair of BDU pants and a black tank top. Daniel grinned at her outfit.

"Well, if I look that impressive, maybe _I _should be signing up for the Airforce, hey?"

He made a face and she laughed at him, "Relax, Danny. It's not exactly my area of expertise."

Suddenly, Daniel perked up. "But archaeology is."

"Whoa, slow down there, cowboy. What's happening in that head of yours?"

"How do you feel about consulting for the SGC? We can always use more expertise, and I could help you. At least then I can try and keep you in the loop."

"Do you really think they'd allow that?"

"Why not? You already know about the gate, so that's the main hurdle over with. Come on!"

General Hammond was having one of those days.

The kind that never seemed to end. So when Doctor Jackson appeared in his office requesting for a friend to become a consultant to the SGC, he was more concerned about when he'd get to go home for the night.

"Tell you what, take her to your office. If she can figure out that device you brought back from P4X-939, she can consult for us."

"Really? Thankyou sir!" Keyra bubbled, and hugged the older man, before blushing. "Sorry."

Hammond chuckled, "Go on. You have a lot of work in front of you."

* * *

A/N : I really have to apologize for this one, because as pointed out by Lorna Roxen, it's been almost two months! Gah, life has been so hectic I just haven't been writing fanfics. Hopefully, this makes up for my lack of updating. I'm going to work on the next chapter sometime soon, hopefully. If it's not up soon, feel free to harass me...really. Feel free. It's the only way to get me to do anything.

Thanks to all reviewers, readers and people who just couldn't be bothered reviewing. You're all epic.


	4. Mastermind

Nearly two hours later, Keyra was pacing the room with her eyes shut, mumbling to herself about ancient history.

"Ah!" She ran over to the whiteboard and scrawled down the next part of the inscription. "Damnit. It still makes no sense."

Daniel was sitting at the desk, staring at the device. It was large, and took up most of the desk. A spheric, golden ball with inscriptions covering every inch. At the top was a blue crystal set in a claw. It glistened under the lights of the office.

"The sun shines and light breaks. The sky grows dark and the thunder echoes all around." Daniel said, reading from the board before shaking his head. "It sounds like some kind of end of days speech."

"You said this thing was emitting a low level of electromagnetic energy?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Daniel, what if it's a doomsday device?"

"What?"

"The sun shines and light breaks. The sky grows dark and thunder echoes all around. And I'm pretty sure this next part means earthquake." She paused, and then leaned down. "What if, when exposed to sunlight, this crystal can cause a planet to explode? It may be able to manipulate electromagnetic fields."

"It didn't damage the planet we found it on."

"Where was it when you found it?"

"In a temple."

"Maybe it needs to be activated. It'd be pretty stupid to build a device that could explode planets without an on switch." Daniel reached out tentatively, touching the gold exterior of the device.

"They didn't find anything like a switch when they first inspected it."

"We need to finish the inscription." She said, yawning.

"Not tonight. You're still recovering. Time to sleep."

"No! Daniel, I have to prove myself."

"You already have." He said.

"Come on. Let me work." She leant down, reading further on the device. "I think that means 'man' and that means 'blood'"

"Blood of the people, release this curse." Daniel read, and wrote it down on the board.

"Daniel, forgive me if I'm wrong, but if this thing _is_ a doomsday device, maybe we should stay away from it." She said, as he ran his hand over the smooth surface.

"Right."

"I think that if you cut yourself on the crystal, it triggers the process."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Well, it's not like we can just test it. How much do you like this planet?" She retorted, and went back to reading.

The next morning, when the others arrived, General Hammond called SG-1 for a briefing, while Keyra went to the infirmary. They'd only gotten halfway on the inscriptions, but Keyra's theory seemed to be quite correct.

"You seem to be recovering quite well." Doctor Frasier said, finishing her examination and taking a few blood samples. "I hear you're consulting with the SGC on an Ancient device?"

"It's not that old." Janet chuckled.

"Not quite what I meant."

"Oh, right." Keyra said, slapping her forehead. "Sorry, I haven't quite got my head around the 'aliens are real' part yet."

"Well, if you need anything, let me know. And Keyra…" She trailed off, and the younger woman frowned, "be careful. This job endangers you whether you're in the field or not."

"Thank you." Keyra whispered.

Keyra and Daniel made their way to his car later that night, after he'd returned from his mission.

"I can't believe you are forcing me to go home without finding out what it does," Keyra whined as he dragged her along by one hand. "You know how bad I am at taking breaks."

"Precisely why I'm making you take one. A long, 8 hour one in which you sleep."

"But why sleep when we can have much more fun _awake_?" She teased, pulling on his hand and ending up with her back pressed against his car and Daniel pressed up against her front. When he rolled his eyes, she rocked her hips forward, earning a thick groan from Daniel.

"No. You are _recovering_. That means lots of sleep and no strenuous activities."

Keyra pouted at him, and was about to take the mickey out of him for calling sex a strenuous activity when Daniel's phone rang.

"_Daniel! Thank God," _Sam began, hurriedly skipping over her words, "_We found out who was behind the kidnapping. It was the Trust. Daniel, it was Ba'al_."

(Pause for effect)

(Jaws music)

"How is that possible, Sam?" Daniel's expression had changed, and he seem fused against Keyra. His hand tightened protectively over her hips.

"_We don't know. It must be one of the clones. For now, General Hammond wants both of you here at the base. Have you left yet?"_

"Not yet. We're at the car. We'll head straight back in."

"_Okay_." Daniel hung up the phone and looked down at Keyra, who was frowning at him.

"What is it?"

"They found out who took you. He's dangerous, and General Hammond thinks he's going to try again, so he wants us both to stay on base for now." Daniel said, a hint of anger in his voice. "Come on."

"I wouldn't move, if I were you."

Keyra's eyes widened, and a small tip was pressed to Daniel's back. The brunette holding it grinned, her eyes flashing brightly.

"What do you want from us?"

"You have something of value to the Trust. We want it." Keyra hadn't moved, but Daniel was pulled roughly away from her and the gun moved to his forehead. "You are going to help us get it."

Two more people appeared, restraining Daniel while the brunette moved to restrain Keyra. When she struggled, one of the men holding Daniel held up a ZAT. The brunette scowled, "Put that away, you idiot. He doesn't want her _dead_. She's still weak from the poison. I can hold her easily."

Keyra was still struggling when they led her out - without Daniel - to face Ba'al. The tan skinned Goa'uld stared at her curiously.

"They risk so much for you. I think now I see why." His voice and eyes were normal, but Keyra knew immediately he was a Goa'uld. "It's rare I encounter a human beautiful enough to deserve recognition for it."

She tugged against the bindings again, and Ba'al laughed, "Such fire in you, too. It's attractive."

Approaching her, he ran one hand down her cheek, pausing at her throat. It wasn't threatening, or menacing, but she shook with fear nonetheless, "She said we have something you want. What is it?"

"A golden orb."

Keyra's eyes widened as realization dawned on her, _The doomsday device_.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

A golden flash crossed his eyes as they narrowed in anger, and when he shouted, his voice was deep, "Do not lie to your God! Tell me where it is!"

"You aren't a god. You're just a parasite. And I'll never tell you a thing." Instead of touching her, he looked up at the guards standing by the door.

"Bring him."

Daniel was a mess; there were cuts and bruises all over his face, and the guard held something that looked like a fire poker. When he pressed it to Daniel's skin, light burst forth from his mouth and he cried out in agony.

"Pray tell," Ba'al said in amusement, "do you feel like talking yet?"

"Leave him alone!" Keyra shouted, and guards stepped in to hold her back from Ba'al. The Goa'uld looked less than threatened.

Stepping up to her, he leant in close to her face, "_No_."

* * *

Well, aren't I just on a roll? Ha.


	5. Love & Apologies

Keyra tugged at the hold on her arms, furiously trying to get free in order to save Daniel. The guard who held the Goa'uld torture device was still pressing in intermittently to Daniel's chest, and every time he did, Daniel would cry out in pain.

She could hardly bear to look.

And with no knowledge of the device, she had no idea how long Daniel could survive.

"I'll get the orb for you!" She yelled, earning a pregnant silence as the guard pulled away and Ba'al turned to her, his eyebrow raised.

Slowly, he moved his hands behind his back and clasped them together, "You don't know what it is, do you?"

"I know what it is," Keyra replied indignantly, "I've been studying it for days."

"And you would hand over that kind of power to _me_ just to save his life?"

Keyra dared a glance at her injured lover, her heart pounding. _No_. Everything in her deflated. Daniel would never forgive her if he knew his freedom came at the cost of the orb falling into Ba'al's hands.

"They're going to find you. They're going to save us. And then they're going to _kill_ you." She spat at the Goa'uld, and he moved forward swiftly, taking hold of her throat and dragging her to her feet.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll try. Let them come. Gods cannot die." He walked away, a smug grin on his face.

"What do you want to do with the device?" Keyra questioned, struggling to her feet and staring inquisitively at the Goa'uld.

"Excuse me?"

"What are your plans if we hand over the device?" She repeated, her eyes not wavering from Ba'al.

"The technology that it uses will advance the weapons on my fleet." He admitted, surprising even himself at his candour.

Keyra raised an eyebrow, and smirked at the system lord, "_You _don't know what it is."

"Of course I do!" Ba'al retorted, but his tone was less than convincing.

"No. You don't. In fact, I'm betting the orb isn't even the true target for this little operation. So _pray tell_, Ba'al, what is it that you're after?"

Ba'al laughed, a deep guttural laugh made all the more intimidating by his Goa'uld voice, "And oh so _smart._" He stepped forward, "but I have no time for games. You will get the orb for me, or I will make sure you never see him again."

Daniel was hauled to his feet by the guards, and Keyra stifled a protest. It would only cause more trouble for them both to try and argue. Ba'al was wearing her down.

The two of them were placed in separate cells, and Ba'al conferred with his First Prime before calling for Keyra to be brought before him once again.

"I believe you to be of great use to me, human. You joined the Stargate Program only recently." He commented, pacing back and forth before her.

"_So_?"

"You have not yet built up an alliance with them."

Her eyes widened at the insinuation, "You want me to _betray _them? I don't even know what you _want_ from us all."

"I _want_ the human that Nirrti took." When she looked at him in utter confusion, he narrowed his eyes, "Two days ago, Cheyenne Mountain lights up like a fire, all abuzz about something. Then we get wind someone's been kidnapped and they're all up in arms looking for this person. My organization did some digging, and were able to ascertain that the kidnapper was _Nirrti_. She took a human, and we want that human."

"I don't even understand what you're saying! Who is _Nirrti!_" Keyra shouted.

Ba'al lowered his face to her level, eyes flashing angrily, "Nirrti took one of their people. _I want that person_."

And then the realization sunk in. They wanted _her._

"Oh." She stuttered.

_Keep the cards_, she said to herself. _Keep the leverage._

"I can get you what you want."

Ba'al smiled in amusement, "So you _do_ know who it is."

"Oh yes," she said with a proud voice, "someone quite close to me, in fact. And I can help you get them."

He clapped his hands together, "I'm so glad to see we can co-operate. It will be so much _easier_ this way."

"But you let Daniel go," Keyra stated plainly, "Give him back to the SGC right now, _alive_."

"You really ought to bargain for your own safety, human."

"We'll talk about my safety later. Right now, you are going to send Daniel back home. Do that, and then we talk." She ordered, praying she was more convincing than she felt.

Ba'al smirked before gesturing to one of his guards. A few minutes later, Daniel was brought into the room. A quick inspection told Keyra he was severely worse for wear. When he looked up through dull eyes, he locked his gaze with Keyra, who had tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Keyra." His voice sounded so _weak_, she couldn't bring herself to regret what she was doing. Not when it meant he would be safe from Ba'al.

Daniel would be _safe,_ and that was all that mattered.

It didn't matter what happened to her.

"_I love you_." She whispered, praying with all her heart he could hear her. "_I'm so sorry."_

* * *

Hoping it hasn't been two months since my last update! Hope everyone enjoys this and there should be more coming soon!


	6. Another Day

_It has been pointed out to me that I never mentioned how old Daniel is in this story, and canon-wise he would be over thirty and dating a 20 year old._

_Age is not a hang up for me, so imagine Daniel however old you want to imagine him. That way, this story is tailored to anyone :)_

* * *

As Ba'al repeated Keyra's request, they watched Daniel's face contort with realization. Ba'al declined to mention the kidnapping and his true desire, but knowing Keyra was being left behind was information enough. He knew she was saving him instead of herself.

The guard holding his arms dragged him from the room, while Keyra fell to her knees, sobbing softly.

"I want proof that he's safe. You let me call someone in the Stargate Program when your people have him home. Then you get what you need."

"Very well." Ba'al said, leaning back in his chair. "You are remarkably calm for someone in your situation, child."

"You need me," she snapped, "and calm is better than losing my nut."

"Take her back to her cell." He ordered, and Keyra was taken from the room.

An hour or so later, Ba'al's guard brought her before the Goa'uld, and handed her a cell phone.

"You try anything foolish and you _will _regret it."

"I'll make sure Daniel is safe and then I'll hang up. No funny business." Keyra responded, typing Sam's number into the phone.

"_Hello?_" Sam's voice filtered through the phone and Keyra smiled weakly.

"Sam, it's Keyra. Is Daniel there? Is he safe?"

"_Yeah, he's here. He's not in good shape, but he'll make it. Keyra, he's saying you're with Ba'al._"

"I have to go, Sam. Take good care of Daniel, please. For me. He's going to need it."

"_Keyr-"_ She hung up before Sam could say anything further, furiously wiping at the tears in her eyes.

"Okay then. Time for the truth." She said softly. "The one Nirrti took is _me._ I don't know why but hell, I'm here. You have what you wanted."

Ba'al raised an eyebrow, standing out of his chair and approaching me, "Well then, we have _much_ to discuss."

"I don't remember anything. They kept me sedated or something. They told me a little bit about the Stargate but nothing about their plans for me. As far as I know, they wanted to get through the Stargate."

"To the contrary, my dear," Ba'al replied, "they wanted to get _you_ through the Stargate. Back to Nirrti. You are _very_ valuable to her. And now…to me."

"Why? What do they want with me?"

"Nirrti has been experimenting for years, attempting to create a _hok'tar_. An advanced host capable of unusual things. With you, she may have finally succeeded. Tell me, have you noticed anything unusual? Any abilities you did not have before?"

"No. Nothing. I don't understand!"

He approached Keyra, pulling out a knife and drawing it across her upturned wrist. A small cry escaped her lips as the pain registered, and tears formed in her eyes. He collected a small amount of it in a vial and handed it to a guard.

"We will kn-" His voice stopped suddenly, and she looked at him in confusion. Suddenly, she was hauled to her feet and the blade pressed to her throat. "Well, I think that answers our questions."

Looking down, Keyra gasped in shock. The wound on her arm was _gone_.

Healed.

Nirrti had succeeded in creating a hok'tar.

"Impressive." Ba'al scowled. "Nirrti would have great use for you."

Keyra panicked, pulling away from the guard and using the surprise element it gave her to grab the gun out of the guard's belt. Aiming it haphazardly, she shot both the guards and landed a bullet in Ba'al's stomach before bolting. On her way, she kneeled down, grabbing the other guard's weapon and bolting from the room. Behind her, the wall shattered under the pressure of a hand device.

Four minutes later, she was out of the building, a trail of bodies in her wake. Looking down, she winced. There was a bullet in her calf just above her ankle. Forcing herself to continue through the pain, she hobbled away from the building as fast as possible. There was no doubt Ba'al would come after her. Especially now they knew what she was capable of. Ba'al would never stop looking.

If he survived.

Keyra found a payphone and quickly dialed Sam's number.

"_Hello?_"

"Sam, it's Keyra! I escaped, but I need help. I shot Ba'al but he's still alive. Please, you need to send someone to come and get me. If Ba'al gets his hands on me, he'll be more powerful than ever before." She rattled off the street name and the payphone number before collapsing in a fit of tears.

"_Whoa, slow down. We're sending SG-4. Just stay near the payphone and we'll be able to find you." _She said soothingly.

"How's Daniel? Is he okay?"

"_He's fine, Keyra. He's sleeping off the painkillers Janet has him on. They'll be there within twenty minutes, Keyra. Ba'al will send people after you, so what you need to do is hide somewhere close. Don't come out until you see Jack or Teal'c. Can you do that?"_

"Yes." She said, eyeing off a building nearby.

"_Go. Good luck, Keyra._"

Hanging up, she bolted to the abandoned warehouse, shutting the door after her and finding a small hole to look through.

The pain in her foot was shooting up through her leg. Leaning down, she inspected the bloody wound with narrow eyes. The bullet was still in there, nestled against her bone.

_Oh, hell, _Keyra thought to herself as she realized what she would have to do next.

The bullet was going to keep her body from healing like it had with the cut. She had to get it out. Flexing her hand, she dug three fingers in before she could reconsider. The bullet was easy to find, and she bit her lip, fighting back tears as her fingers clutched it and ripped it out of her flesh.

Sure enough, without the obstruction, the wound quickly fused itself back to normal.

"I'm never going to get used to that." She muttered to herself.

Outside, a loud screech of tires filled the air and she glanced out to see Teal'c leaping out of the car in his BDU's. Jack was right behind him, looking around.

Pushing the door open, she bolted for them.

Jack spotted Keyra and they bustled her into the car before taking a seat on either side of her.

"You alright, kid?" Jack said in an inquisitive voice, and she looked down at herself. There was blood covering her entire left arm and both her hands. Her clothes were spattered with it and she had bruises along her arms her neck.

"Yeah," she said softly, "I'm alright."

_I'm safe_, she thought to herself. _Finally safe._

* * *

_I feel as though I should point out that when compiled together, my Stargate FanFiction reaches **ninety-three thousand** words. This is the only one I have ever posted for the public eye._

_This is daunting to me._


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